Which of the MCU's heroes and villains will return for Avengers: Doomsday? Let's look at how likely 80+ characters are to appear in Avengers 5!
Earth's Mightiest Heroes will return to theaters in May 2026 with Avengers: Doomsday, and the MCU crossover event will bring a cast of epic proportions.
Avengers 5 was once planned to go by The Kang Dynasty. However, after the firing of Kang actor Jonathan Majors, Marvel Studios opted to pivot to Doomsday, which will star Doctor Doom and lay the groundwork for Avengers: Secret Wars.
A report from Deadline stated "more than 60 MCU characters could reprise their roles," meaning fans should expect plenty of returning faces.
Robert Downey Jr. - Doctor Doom
Upon announcing Doomsday at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios confirmed former Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. would lead the way as the villainous Doctor Doom, setting him up for a major role in Secret Wars.
While confirming Downey Jr.'s MCU return, the Russo Brothers introduced him as "the one person who could play Victor von Doom."
As such, it appears the actor will not be playing a Tony Stark Variant who becomes Doctor Doom, but rather Victor von Doom, perhaps from the same alternate Earth on which The Fantastic Four: First Steps will take place.
The Fantastic Four
Kevin Feige confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Marvel's First Family will return for Doomsday and Secret Wars after The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
According to director Matt Shakman, the MCU's Fantastic Four will hail from a "retro-futuristic '60s" and an alternate universe.
The cast will officially include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Mass-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/Thing.
Tom Holland - Spider-Man
Tom Holland's Peter Parker may not get to crossover into other MCU projects too much due to Sony Pictures holding the movie rights but as the face of Marvel, Spider-Man will undoubtedly be back to aid in the fight against Doctor Doom.
In October, it was confirmed that Tom Holland will be filming for Avengers Doomsday, Spider-Man 4, and an untitled Christopher Nolan movie in 2025, confirming the character's appearance in Avengers 5.
Not only will Spider-Man have to contend with the other heroes having lost all memory of him in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but he will also find himself up against a villain who bears the face of his mentor and father figure, Tony Stark.
Anthony Mackie - Sam Wilson's Captain America
While Steve Rogers was once the lead of the Avengers, having now taken the mantle of Captain America, that burden may now fall on Sam Wilson.
With Captain America: Brave New World set to lay the groundwork for a new age of Avengers, Wilson could be the one to form and lead the team into battle.
Danny Ramirez - Falcon
Not only does the MCU have a new Captain America in Sam Wilson, but Joaquin Torres is set to take up the mantle of Falcon from him. As the two are likely to become an intertwined duo just as Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson once were, he will undoubtedly find a place on the next Avengers roster.
Brie Larson - Captain Marvel
Brie Larson's Captain Marvel may be coming off the box office flop of her MCU crossover sequel, The Marvels, but as one of the most powerful Avengers and an iconic face, she will undoubtedly be back to aid the team once again.
In the aftermath of The Marvels, which sent Monica Rambeau into an alternate universe alongside the X-Men, she may well already be investigating the Multiverse going into Doomsday, setting her up for an important role.
Simu Liu - Shang-Chi
Although Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) has only popped up in his MCU solo movie so far, the martial arts hero quickly became a fan favorite.
With Captain America: Brave New World set to lay the groundwork for a new age of Avengers, Wilson could be the one to form and lead the team into battle.
Danny Ramirez - Falcon
Not only does the MCU have a new Captain America in Sam Wilson, but Joaquin Torres is set to take up the mantle of Falcon from him. As the two are likely to become an intertwined duo just as Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson once were, he will undoubtedly find a place on the next Avengers roster.
Brie Larson - Captain Marvel
Brie Larson's Captain Marvel may be coming off the box office flop of her MCU crossover sequel, The Marvels, but as one of the most powerful Avengers and an iconic face, she will undoubtedly be back to aid the team once again.
In the aftermath of The Marvels, which sent Monica Rambeau into an alternate universe alongside the X-Men, she may well already be investigating the Multiverse going into Doomsday, setting her up for an important role.
Simu Liu - Shang-Chi
Although Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) has only popped up in his MCU solo movie so far, the martial arts hero quickly became a fan favorite.
Benedict Wong - Wong
Early on, Wong racked up more cameos and Multiverse Saga appearances than anyone else in the MCU. While that has certainly dialed back in recent projects, Benedict Wong's Sorcerer Supreme is all but certain to appear in the coming Avengers conflicts, putting his knowledge of the Multiverse to good use.
Xochitl Gomez - America Chavez
As Doomsday will be the beginning of the end for the Multiverse Saga, it feels like a given that a young hero whose powers revolve around universe-hopping would be a sure-fire pick to join the Avengers' next mission.
Perhaps America Chavez's (played by Xochitl Gomez) powers could even be how the Avengers navigate the Multiverse when that inevitably becomes necessary in taking on Doctor Doom.
Chris Hemsworth - Thor
Chris Hemsworth has only appeared once in the Multiverse Saga with the panned Thor: Love and Thunder, but his MCU days may not be behind him. Rumors are already spreading of a fifth Thor movie, but before then, it would be surprising if he were to leave the Avengers to take on Doctor Doom without him.
Paul Rudd - Ant-Man
When Kang the Conqueror was set to antagonize Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers 5, Ant-Man probably would have been among the blockbuster's leads due to his experience with him in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.
But now, Paul Rudd ought to step back to a more familiar role as just another part of the Avengers team.
Mark Ruffalo - Hulk
Mark Ruffalo's Hulk is one of the few original MCU heroes still around, and having played a role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, his commitment to the franchise appears as strong as ever.
After plenty of backlash to his Smart Hulk persona, Doomsday may hopefully bring back the green and angry monster audiences have been craving.
Jeremy Renner - Hawkeye
Jeremy Renner has already seemingly teased his involvement with Doomsday after sharing the announcement on Instagram. As a founding Avenger with plenty of history with Robert Downey Jr.'s face in the MCU, he ought to appear in a fairly important role as he comes back to acting after recovering from a near-fatal injury.
Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova
Back when Avengers 5 was planned as The Kang Dynasty, writer Jeff Loveness teased plans for Florence Pugh to appear as Yelena Belova.
After leading the Thunderbolts in 2025, Belova could work her way into the Avengers as she officially takes up the Black Widow mantle from Natasha Romanoff and fills in for her in Doomsday.
Sebastian Stan - Bucky Barnes
Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes will take on a new MCU role in Thunderbolts* as a congressman, making the jump from historic veteran to superhero to politician.
The former Winter Soldier was listed in the report from The Cosmic Circus as one of the characters likely to appear in Doomsday, which only makes sense given his long MCU tenure and history of working with the team.